C.—6.

fruit. This tree is handsome at any time, but doubly so when it is carrying a heavy crop of fruit. Then is the time to see the beautiful native pigeon at its best. The pigeon is a wise bird, too, for it is not until the karaka berries are beginning to ripen that it commences nesting in earnest. An occasional nest is found in November, but it is not before late December that many pigeons' nests are met with, so that the nesting season for this fine bird is late on Kapiti. At the present time there are three nests of pigeons with young ones in, each about a fortnight old. Two of the nests are within three chains of my cottage, and about the same distance from each other. " The matai, miro, tawa, pukatea, hinau, toru, amongst the larger species, and the puka, houliou, titoki, as well as the various coprosmas, are amongst the small species that are carrying their maximum load of fruit, although some are not yet ripe. The so-called " flax " (Phormium) —both species— flowered particularly well last season. When it was in flower it was quite a common, every-day occurrence to see, from my cottage, thirty or so tuis feeding on the nectar produced by this valuable plant. It ripens its fruit very quickly, and is much sought after by the parakeets. These birds were trying to get at the seed even when there were flowers on the top of the stalk. Dozens of them were about the swamp after the seed. "• The rata did not flower so well as it did in the previous year, although some of the pohutukawa that I planted out the first winter of 1925 were covered with blossom. Not only did the New Zealand pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa) produce its lovely flowers, but another Metrosideros from the Kermadecs (Metrosideros villosa) also flowered. The last species was planted in 1927 and blossomed for the first time. The rata (Metrosideros robusta) seems to do much better some years than others. At the present time we have another useful rata in flower. While not producing such an abundance of flowers as Metrosideros robusta, it nevertheless supplies a welcome picking for the honey-eaters, and will continue to do so right into the winter. This is the climbing rata Metrosideros jlorida. " Some of the plants that were put out a few years ago by the aid of the Wellington Acclimatization Society have made great progress, especially the taupata, of which something like 3,000 plants were put out round the coast between Rangatira and the south-west corner. Many of them have fruit on at the present time. " Some of the plants I have introduced have made good progress. Many of them have flowered, and some have reproduced young plants. On the track leading to the summit of the island I planted a tainui. Under this tree can be seen several young tainuis. To show how some of the introduced plants have grown, I give an instance of a kauri planted in May, 1927. This plant when put out was 8 in. high —it is now 4- ft. 7 in. by measurement. This kauri was presented to me by Messrs. Duncan and Davies, the well-known nurserymen of New Plymouth. " The kohekohe, like many other plants of the native flora, seems to flower every second year unless there is plenty of rain. Moreover the kohekohe takes a year or longer to ripen the fruit, so that if the previous season is wet there is almost sure to be a plentiful supply of fruit in the following year. Not only is this tree loaded with fruit at the present time, but it is also covered with buds showing promise' of another heavy crop next year. The kohekohe always seems to attract people's attention, and it is certainly a remarkable looking plant, with the large bunches of grapelike fruit hanging from the bare trunk and branches. I consider it one of the most useful plants on a bird sanctuary. It is especially valuable in that it flowers in mid-winter when there is little else for the honey-eating birds, and the fruit ripens from May on, thereby helping the pigeon. Indeed it is practically the last harvest for this bird. It is therefore with regret that I report that some blight or other pest seems to have attacked many of the small plants of this species. In the Kaiwharawhara Valley (locally termed ' The Basin ') there are places where dozens of little kohekohe have died. Plants of from 2 ft. to 6 ft. in height seem to have been mostly affected. The large trees showed no sign of whatever it was, neither were the small seedlings killed. Some of the small saplings that seemed dead are now sending up young shoots from the ground, so apparently they were not killed outright, although the dead ones are rotten enough to be easily broken off. It is only in the valley mentioned that I have noticed the young kohekohe dying. They are certainly flourishing in the other parts of the sanctuary. "At Rangatira the karaka has also been attacked by some parasite. In this case I think some insect is responsible. If the insect had not destroyed the tree it certainly attacked it as soon as it (the tree) commenced to languish. The first sign of decay was shown by the leaves turning yellow, then the tree died, and many conspicuous gaps are showing in the face of the bush. Several species of trees seem to be subject to some disease on Kapiti. For instance, many specimens of the tawhiwhi, botanically called Pittosporum tenuifolium, died out. It cannot be old age, because small shrubs, as well as large trees (for this species), do not escape. " The caterpillar of the moth commonly called the Kowhai moth, was very prominent in February. All the leaves were stripped off the kowliais at Rangatira. This is perhaps the same caterpillar that was so abundant amongst the lupins on Paraparaumu Beach. The mild season was evidently to its liking. " The white butterfly that has received so much attention from newspapers lately made its appearance on Kapiti, about the middle of March. " The birds seem to have had a successful year. There are young of most species to be seen all over the sanctuary. " The fantail, which seemed so scarce last year, was plentiful this season, although not so much in evidence perhaps as some years ago. We had one pair nesting within half a chain of our house. They raised four young ones, then laid again In the same nest and reared foiir more. " The little grey warbler, so common on the mainland, and so scarce on Kapiti, delighted us by appearing at Rangatira in February with a young shining cuckoo (Lamprococcyx lucidus). During January and February of this year we saw more grey warblers than we have seen during the eight years we have been on the sanctuary. The warbler with the young cuckoo was about Rangatira for a few days, then evidently left the cuckoo to shift for itself. The cuckoo stayed, mostly in the rock

7